Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1887-10-01
is LYNCHING A CRIME.

VI Jul POVPlO mu0O iVoA uPoH ~ 40
no crime to "lynch negro" In fac
a majority of the white press Of the
south encourage it. We may men
tion few exceptions: The Charles
ton Ne,gs ard Courier, Wilmington
Messenger and Wilmington Star. We
regret to say our city papers are
among those which care so little for
law and human life, that they generally
speak of lynching as "Another Negro
gone" ''Met his usual DOOM" "Just-
ly dealt" or something of the kind.
Now we ask the white men of the
South, is it crime to lynch man?
If it is are not many of the white men
of the South the bloodiest set of muir
derers unhung? How can we blame
the Northern Republicans for shak-
ing the bloody rag? When one man
or set of men take the law in their
hands to punish crime unlawfully, he
or they become violators of the law
and should be tried and punished as
law breakers.
Lynchers are murderers and moth
ing less and the fellow who goes along
simply to see it we'll done, is an alder
and abetter and should be punished.
Our colored press has been handling
this subject with too much delicacy.
The white press has failed to d. its
duty, and the pulpit and good citi-
zens generally, have failed to condemn
and denounce this thing as they
should. 1t should be denounced by
all law abiding people, and it should
be ferreted out and the men punished
who engage in it.
Perhaps the colored editor, or
preacher or any colored man who
dares speak out about these things,
endangers his own neck to the lynch
er's rope We have contended that
this lynching can be stopped 1t
should be stopped. We say nothing
of the victims, while we believe
large majority of them are innocent of
the charges against them, but the ef-
feet it has upon the community -
There is no such thing as negro lynch
ers yet, though some white men have
BACKED their faces to deceive the
victim in this as in many ether crimes.
The Negro initiates the white man in
many things, and he will get into this
horrible lynching business.
While we believe the law making
rape capital offense is just law, we
believe all men charged with this, as
other offenses, should be properly ar
raigned and tried before lawful Judge
and jury of his peers. We think
there would be but little trouble in
convicting any guilty party, and as
the white men have all the machinery
in their own hands, those pronounced
guilty would meet the decree of the
court. Then by having investigations
the cause of the great trouble might
be discovered, and that is what we
need to correct any wrong.
Our conclusion is, lynching is a
crime, and any person taking part in
it is, "a murderer and ought to be
hung as a murderer We believe
also that it should be stopped, and if
the proper course is taken it can be
stopped. If organization is necessary
among the Negroes for anything, it is
for the purpose of stopping this lynch
ing now so common in the South.
But it is the duty of the officers of the
law and all good citizens to frown down
the practice Of taking men from Off
GERS of the law and killing them with
out learning whether or not they are
guilty. Men should not do such
things in passion. Let all good
citizens say it is crime aud must be
stopped.
Cornus V.ifarowv